Rigshospitalet - Smilestyret

Smilestyret started with Andreas Strange Nielsen, a porter at Rigshospitalet who drives children to surgery every day. It is a short trip, but often a scary one. Together with the hospital's PlayLab unit, I was brought in to turn his idea into a real physical product.

The concept is a steering wheel for the hospital bed. It lets children steer down the corridor while giving parents a simple way to engage with their kids during a stressful moment. The trip takes the exact same time, but it transforms a nervous situation into a playful experience.

Working as both designer and engineer, I collaborated with Andreas and PlayLab on core features and decisions. In my workshop, I built five functional prototypes currently in use at the hospital.

The unit consists of over a hundred custom 3D printed parts, electronics, and hardware. Kids can turn the wheel, honk the horn, move a four position gear stick, and activate light and sound responses. The base fits comfortably on a child's lap whether sitting or lying down, and the frame includes practical details like a slot for the hospital elevator card and USB charging.

As a fun detail, two hidden cheat codes are built into the wheel. Entering the right gear pattern unlocks custom songs and light shows. Having grown up trading video game codes with friends, I loved giving long term young patients secret features to discover and share.

Today, all five functional prototypes are active at Rigshospitalet.